The Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt presents “The Cal Poly Humboldt Jazz Orchestra,” led by Dan Aldag. Join us Friday, December 8th at 8:00 p.m. at the Fulkerson Recital Hall. Concert tickets are $10 General, $5 Children, and free for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu. From the "All Events" drop down menu select "School of Dance, Music, and Theatre" and select your event.

The Jazz Orchestra will be performing a number of interesting jazz standards as well as some pop and Christmas arrangements, including Good Day Sunshine written by Lennon and McCartney and first recorded by the Beatles. The orchestra is playing an arrangement done by John Daversa for his Progressive Big Band. It features Andrew Henderson on trumpet and Raili Makela on vocals.

Next will be Basically Blues, written by Phil Wilson for the Buddy Rich Band. This performance features solos by John Gerving, piano; Nate Heron, trombone; and Mathias Severn, tenor sax.

La Comparsa is by the great Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona. The orchestra is playing an arrangement written by Oded Lev-Ari for the clarinetist Anat Cohen's album Noir. Ricardo Paredes is featured on clarinet.

Summer Song was composed for steelband by Cliff Alexis. A Cal Poly Humboldt alumnus, Dan Fair, arranged it for the Jazz Orchestra about 10 years ago, and the orchestra is reviving that arrangement this semester. Soloists are John Gerving, piano; George Epperson, trombone; Hank van Konigsveld, bass; and Sammie Malcom, congas.

Some Skunk Funk is by Randy Brecker. This tune was first recorded by Billy Cobham, and then by Brecker's own group the Brecker Brothers. The Jazz Orchestra’s performance will feature solos by Andrew Henderson on trumpet and Ricardo Paredes on tenor sax. 

Emancipation Blues was composed by Oliver Nelson for his 1962 album Afro/American Sketches. The performance features solos by Andrew Henderson, trumpet; Rebekka Lopex, alto sax; and John Gerving, piano.

Rhetoric Machine was composed by Arcata native Nathan Parker Smith for his album Not Dark Yet, which utilized the instrumentation of a jazz big band to perform Nathan's compositions influenced by heavy metal, 20th century classical composition, and progressive rock. An award-winning composer, Nathan has lived and worked in Brooklyn for many years.

Winter Wonderland, the beloved holiday season classic, will be performed as a sneak preview of the Jazz Orchestra's guest appearance the following night at the Basement with Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O. The arrangement was written by the Tree-O's reedist, Jeff Lederer, and will feature solos by Ricardo Paredes on tenor sax and Ben Aldag on drums.

Date: Friday, December 8th, 2023

Time: 8:00 p.m.

Location: Fulkerson Recital Hall, Cal Poly Humboldt, Arcata CA 95521

Price:  $10 General, $5 Child, and Free for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID

Ticket Purchase: centerarts.humboldt.edu

Contact For tickets: 707-826-3928

Livestream Link: To watch the free livestream, go to the website "All Events" drop down menu, select "Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre" and select your event.

Contact: Cal Poly Humboldt School of Dance, Music, and Theatre, 707-826-3566, mus@humboldt.edu